Curber for bridle-bits.



J. 0. FOWLER & G. W. LE COMPTE.

CURBER FOR BRIDLE BITS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. I914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

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wi bnmo 7% COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH (IQ-WASHINGTON D c ion ra ns Parana rrroJONATHAN 0. FOWLER AND GEORGE W. LE COMPTE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; SAID LECOMPTE ASSIGNOR T0 SAID FOWLER.

CURBER FOR BRIDLE-BITS.

Sp ecification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Oct. so, rare.

Continuation of application Serial No. 353,446, filed January 22, 1907.This application filed .Tune 18, 1914.

' Serial No. 845,803.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JONATHAN O. Fow- LER andGEORGE W. Ln CoMrrn, citizens of the United States of America, andresidents of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Curber for Bridle-Bits, of which thefollowing is a specification, the same being a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to horse controlling devices, and in particular toa curber or controller for bridle bits, and it embodies certain novelfeatures of construction and combination and arrangement of partsforming in operation a simple and efficient organization.

To attain the desired end, this, our invention, consists in theconstruction, arrangement and operation of novel devices and combinationof devices as hereinafter set forth.

In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, we will proceedto explain the same by reference to the drawings, illustrative of oneembodiment of the invention, which accompany and form. a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of ahorse controlling device constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2is a plan view of the controller in connection with the mouthpiece of aointed bridle bit; and Figs.

3, 3 and 3 are views in detail of the end portions of the noseband.

Like letters of reference indicate like partsin all the views. 1

Referring particularly by reference characters to the drawings A denotesa jointed bridle bit and B the rein rings.

C indicates the noseband proper having at each'end jaw pieces orelongated loop porv tions D through which the rings B are passed inattaching the noseband to the bit in the operation of assembling theparts in operative relation. i

The noseband which serves as a curber or controller consists, incombination with apreferably resilient band C, of two preferably castjaw pieces or elongated loop portions D each ordinarily integral with ahead or plate 0Z having a cut away portion d the axis of the said loopand plate being arranged at an angle to the axis of the noseband orspring G the said plate having a shoulder 03 from which thesubstantially flat and ordinarily integral thin portion (Z of the plateprojects. Each casting D is also preferably provided with an orifice Dto which is ordinarily secured a strap E constructed and arranged to liebelow the under aw of the animal in order to prevent the horse fromopening its mouth. The band C ordinarily consists of thin spring metalpreferably rigidly secured at each end to a plate of the casting Dhaving its ends abutting on the shoulders cl of the said head or plate.1

The castings D and the ordinarily integral heads or plates cl arepreferably made of 1ioncorrosi ve metal by which a comparativelyinexpensive and very durable construction is secured, the parts notbeing liable to oxidize or break under strain of the reins.

The tendency of the ordinary loop controller is to cause the horse toopen its mouth in order to endeavor to release the bit by dropping theunder jaw and preventing the pain which is caused by the pressure of thebridle bit against the nerves of its month,

, letting the other side of the snailie drop too far in its mouthandgrabbing the cheek of the bit with its teeth; and in all cases a horseis more easily controlled when it is prevented from opening its mouth.

WVe do not claim a noseband having jawpieces, the inner or rear ends ofwhich are inclined or project rearwardly toward the bit, broadly in thisapplication, as the same is described and claimed in the patent to J. O.Fowler, dated Sept. 15, 1903, No. 739,163, where the inner or rear endsof the jaw-pieces, whether viewed sidewise or edgewise, are inclinedinwardly or rearwardly with respect to their outer or forward ends, thisapplication being limited to the cast jaw-pieces having the loop andshoulder, and to a cast jaw-piece, the'axis of which forms an angle withthe nose band proper.

' Thepresent case is further limited to the particular details ofconstruction hereinafter set forth/ In this application, which is acontinuation of an application filed by us on Nov. 26, 1906 andcompleted on January 22, 1907, Serial No. 353,446, it will be noted thatthe casting comprising each jaw-piece D having the orifice D at itsouter end is sustained in a practically pivotal relation by the bit A.Consequently, when the rein ring B connected therewith is pulledbackwardly, the jaw-piece D turns somewhat on its bit pivot A and theorifice D holding the chin strap E is pulled rearwardlyand also upwardly, as the spring band C attached to the inner end of the casting Drests against the nose of the horse as a fulcrum, and the leveragethusexerted and the tightening of the said strap might, under certainconditions, cause the strap to be unduly pressed into the chin of theanimal. This tendency, however, is overcome the approach of the end ofone of the jaw-pieces toward its opposite one, occasioned by the slidingof the jaw-pieces respectively upon the two members of the jointed bit Awhen an angular relation is assumed by the latter by a pull on p thereins as is common in devices of this type. This movement serves tocause the orifices D to come nearer together and thereby to loosen thechin strap and enable it at all times to preserve and maintain asubstantially constant and uniform tension.

It will be observed that in this device the j aw-pieces have no singlesharp point which might tend to obstruct the air passages of the noseand to continuously press into each cheek of the horse, and thus causeconstant annoyance; nor are the jaw-pieces so nearly straight that theplanes of the joints between the same and the spring and those of theends of the spring, when in normal position,

intersect the outer ends of the said jaw- I pieces, which structurewould cause practis cally the whole surface of each j aw-piece tocontinuously press against both the nose and the j aw,'which wouldresult, in time, in chafing the same.

We have designed the jaw-pieces so that when in normal position theyshall extend for a'distance in the planes of the joints between thejaw-pieces and the spring bow, and are then at the central part thereofturned outwardly to form a blunt point with a single bend at such anangle that the outer halves and ends of the same shall project aconsiderable distance beyond and form an angle with the said planes andalso beyond the planes of the ends of the spring, and shall also be bentso that the longitudinal axis of the entire body of the same will lie ata practically similar-angle to the longitudinal axis of the end of thenoseband. e thus secure bearing portions of greater surface than morepoints, and yet not of so great a surface as to practically comprise theentire length of'the jaw-pieces. By means of bearing portions lying atthe proper angles as hereinabove designated we are enabled to obtain atthe critical moment a pressure suliicient to distract the attention ofthe horse and to control him without causing him unnecessary pain andannoyance which are important advantages over controllers of this typeformerly employed.

The ease and comfort of the curber in use is also enhanced by theconstruction whereby the spring is bowed, or expanded, or extendedoutwardly from the central part thereof, and is then bent inwardly atthe ends of the same-as of horizontal C-shapcthe said ends being inalinement with the adjacent extremities of the jawpieces so that the bowof the band is of a greater diameter at a distance from its ends than atthe said ends. This construction of bowing the spring to press the endsof the noseband outwardly against the bit-rings performs the importantfunction of normal] holding the jaw-pieces away from the jaw and thusprevents the structure from exerting any undue or unpleasant pressureagainst the nose and air passages thereof, and also upon the checks ofthe horse (which would annoy and consequently fret him) except when thedevice is needed for use for purposes of correction. We gain anotherimportant advantage in making the shoulder cl so as to lie substantiallyat rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the preferably cast jaw-pieceD and to that of the head or plate (Z thereof which is fitted to, andengages, and is secured to the beveled end of the spring. The endportions or terminals of the spring thus lap the plates and solidly abutagainst the shoulders of the same whereby the axis of each casting formsan angle with the longitudinal axis of the spring.- By this conformationof parts the casting may be more rapidly and economically made than ifthe said shoulder was at an acute angle to the said axis, inasmuch asall angular operations are dispensed with; whereas, as the spring band Chas to be cut off from a strip in suitable lengths in any event, it isjust as easy to cut it off with a beveled edge as with a right angledone.

lVhen the device is applied to a horse the arch or bow of the spring andthe orifices D lying adjacent to the loops all lie rearwardly of theaxis of the jointed bit, on account of the bend or drop-down between thespring and jaw-pieces. lhe positive turning away of the jaw-pieces fromthe cheeks prevents the former from chafing the same as they are removedfrom the latter at all times except when correction is needed. Inpractice it has been found that the best results obtain where the anglebetween the plane of the end of a jaw-piece and that of the end of thespring and the angle of the bend in the jaw-piece are substantially thesame, as is indicated in the drawings.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What we claim as our invention is 1. In a device of the class described,a spring band, a plurality of jaw-pieces, and means to secure theadjacent ends thereof together, the said band being bowed and expandedso as to extend outwardly from the central partthereof and then bentinwardly at the ends of the same, as of horizontal C- shape,.the saidends being in alinement with the adjacent extremities of the jaw-pieceswhich approach each other for a distance and at approximately thecentral part thereof are turned away from each other, the axis of theouter end of each jaw-piece being at an angle to the axis of eachadjacent end of the spring, whereby the noseband is normally held awayfrom, and prevented from exerting pressure against, the nose and thecentral part thereof and then bent inwardly at the ends of the same, asof horizontal C-shape, the said ends being in alinement with theadjacent extremities of the jaw-pieces, the longitudinal axis of theentire body of each of thesame lying at an angle to the longitudinalaxis of the end of i the noseband, whereby the noseband is normally heldaway from, and prevented from exerting pressure against, the nose andcheeks of the animal.

In testimony of the foregoing specification we do hereby sign the samein the city of New York, county and State of New York this 9th day ofMay, 1914.

J ONATHAN O. FOlVLER GEORGEW. LE COMPTE. Witnesses HUGO Bnuorr, CHAS.GALoTI-L Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

